We came to Zermatt just for the Matterhorn views and the Five Lakes Trail. And it did not disappoint. There’s little to complain about when you get to spend the day hiking to picturesque lakes through alpine meadows, spotting some surprise fish, and basking in the glory of the iconic Matterhorn.
Zermatt, Switzerland was the first stop on our two-week trip through the Alps. It’s a small mountain resort town with no cars allowed (we left our car at the Täsch station and took the train into town). Despite this, it’s still a bustling with outdoorsy tourists like us. Zermatt’s main attraction is the iconic Matterhorn.
We drove straight to Zermatt after getting off a plane in Milan, so we went straight to bed after dinner so we could be well-rested for a day of hiking. The next day, we we walked into town and purchased funicular (a.k.a. cable car or gondola) tickets to Blauherd Station, the starting point of the Five Lakes Trail. We had a pretty full Alps itinerary that only allowed us time for one hike in Zermatt, and we chose this one for its Matterhorn views and tour of alpine lakes.
The first lake on the hike is Stellisee which is a short walk on a wide path from Blauherd station. It traverses a ridgeline with views to the south and east of the Matterhorn. When we arrived at the lake there were quite a few people milling about enjoying the alpine setting and the Matterhorn.
As we approached the other side of the lake, we noticed two people fly fishing – what?! The fish-dar immediately turned on, and through the clear water we spotted what looked brown trout! It turned out that the two people were a guide and client. We chatted with the guide and he told us that there were brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, and arctic char in the lake. And that he knew this because he personally planted all the fish! This was a nice surprise as we weren’t expecting to see any fish on this trip.
After spending a little while longer fish spotting (there are some healthy-sized fish in there), we continued on the trail down a steep hill to Grindjisee. This might be the most picturesque lake on the hike. It’s small and shallow, but flanked by European larches on one side that perfectly frame the Matterhorn.
The third of five lakes is Grunsee, which is damned by a sand hill with the Matterhorn just peaking out from around the corner. It was on the walk to this lake that we spotted the first signs of fall along the hillside.
The trail lead us past the mountain lodge Seewjinu which had a vintage Swiss alpine stone hut across the field, buried in the side of the mountain.
We kept walking down the steep hill where some switchbacks led us to a bridge over Findelbach Creek once again. Just down the way we could see bits of a stunningly blue lake peaking through the trees.
Eager to check out Mosjesee, lake number four of five, we walked briskly down to the shore. The lake’s opaque, bright turquoise blue is pretty striking in person. The only thing this lake has against it is the sight of buildings and power lines along it (it’s a man-made lake).
The last stretch of the trail climbs up a hill side to the last lake along the route – Leisee. The views here really open up to the Matterhorn again.
Leisee is a well-used lake near Sunnega Station. It even has a park and lounge chairs along its shore. We took a break here to relax and enjoy the views before heading back down the cable car.
The day started off clear with only a few tiny clouds surrounding the Matterhorn, but by. the end of the hike, the clouds started to roll in. We were lucky enough to have mostly unobstructed views of the Matterhorn all day!
We both grew up just a minutes away from the Matterhorn’s most famous doggleganger at Disneyland. But there’s nothing like the real deal. We can see why Walt Disney was so struck with inspiration upon laying eyes on it. Hiking in the Matterhorn Valley was privilege and started off our tour of the Alps with a bang. If you only have time for one hike in Zermatt like we did, we highly recommend the Five Lakes Trail!
